wendte



Patented May V8, 1894.

t e e, h vqu m nu nv h S 2 um S E .m N D.m.|... NN .EM W2 M n. .d 0 M 0m M,... nf

A TTOHNE )7 (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. C. WBND'IE. MULTIGoLoRPRINTING PRESS.-

E BY

ATTORNEY me NATloNAL LrrNoanAPHlNa ccmLPANY.

wAsmNawN. n. u.

NITE

WILLIAM o. WENDTE, on Bosron, MASSACHUSETTS, AssIeNoR To EMMA L. FORBES,oE SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 519,462, dated May8,1894.

Application filed June 30, 1893 To all whom it may concern;

Beit known that I, WILLIAM C. WENDT, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Boston, in the county of Suifolk and State f ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMulticolor-Printing Presses, (designated Oase B,) of which the followingis a specification.

This invention is related to an important class'of printing machinesintended for the production of pictures andornamental delineations intwo or more colors; and more speciiically to those adapted to print onsheets of paper, and on the'same side of each sheet, a number ofsuperimposed impressions each with anink of such a'color as in theaggregate will produce the desired design at every complete revolutionof the press.

In the press which forms the subject matter of the present invention,the sheet of paper to be printed upon is fed to the impression-cylinder,where it is taken hold of by grippers and then carried to twoform-cylinders with both of which the impression-cylinder is connectedby gearing. These formcylinders are of equal Size and are provided withan equal number of form-supporting surfaces. The impression-cylinderafter having presented the leading edge of the sheet upon it to a formon one cylinder, presents it then to the second form in the series onthe other cylinder, and to the third upon the first cylinder, and soalternately from one cylinder to the other till the forms are allprinted.

In the drawings which are part of this specification, Figure 1 showsdiagrammatically the printing press I have invented adapted for fourcolors. Fig. 2 is the same arrangement of parts with a modifieddelivery.

In the gures 10 is the im pression-cylinder.

12 is the iirst form-cylinder; 14 the second. The gap-spaces on both thelatter are marked 16 and the forms on the same, marked Nos. 1, 2, 3, and4, near their leading edges, are the forms for the several colors.Except for the gap-spaces which correspond in length Ato the gap on theimpression-cylinder, the whole surface of the form-cylinders is coveredwith its forms.

18 isa delivery-cylinder and 20 its grippers, while 22 is the gripperson the impres- Serial No. 479,282. (No model.)

` sion-cylinder 10. In the drawings the feedboards are marked 24, thetapes 28, and the driving pinion in 'every caseis 30.

My invention in its simplest construction is shown in Fig. 1. In thispress four curved forms, each printing a dierent color, are arranged onsuitable vform-supports; they are numbered Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4, andthese numbers are-placed at the leading edge of the forms ,which aredividedbetween the two cylinders, two on each. When a sheet isfed torthe grippers 22 the impression-cylinder carries it to the firstform-cylinder 12, which latter is angularly adjusted therewith throughthe gearing on both, so that the leading edge of the form'and theleading edge of the Sheet on the impression-surface meet at the point ofcontact. This has taken place already in the position shown, the leadingedge having met that of the form No. 1, and gone forward to that of formNo. 2, on the second `form-cylinder 14.' This state of things isindicated in Fig. l, by the heavy line representing the sheet `of paper,which is still partly on the feedboard and half round theimpression-cylinder, receiving the impression from form No. 1, and justabout to receive that from form No. 2. As the rotation of theimpression-cylinder continues the printing of the second color is begun,before 4the conclusion of which the sheet is presented to. form No. 3 onthe rst, and nally to form No. 4 on the second formoylinder. After this,when the grippers reach the delivery-cylinder 18 they are thrown open,and the edge of the sheet is grasped by the grippers 20, and transferredby the apparatus shown with a sheet upon it, to the tapes 28, from whichthe iiy 26 throws it over on the delivery-board 36, placed to receivethe pile of work. The four sets of inking apparatus used for this pressare marked 31, 32,' 33, and 34. In Fig; 1 only'one set of formrollershas dropped upon the work, namely that marked 34, which inks the fourthforni; -all the others are atthe time inactive; but forms Nos. 1 and 2have been inked already.

A In this machine it is apparent'that the productiveness is very great,for, in the press shown, four superimposed designs are printed on thesame sheet of paper for every two revolutions of theimpression-cylinder, which IOO :rapid rate is due to the f'act that oneor other of the forms is always being printed as long as the pressworks, and that two forms are being printed simultaneously, except whilethe four gap-spaces 16 are passing the impression-cylinder.

In Fig. 1 the delivery of the sheet is accomplished by apparatusconsisting of a deliverycylinderlS, with tapes 2S, and in consequencethe sheet runs upon the latter face down, and is then lifted by the flyand thrown over on the pile of sheets in the well known way. Thisprocedure, as experience has shown, is satisfactory when onlya fewcolors have been printed on the paper; but when many superimposed colorscross each other the accumulated quantity of wet ink renders itdifficult to carry the sheet on tapes face down and lift it therefrom asexplained,without smearing.

I modify the usual methods of feeding and delivery to overcome thisdifficulty when itis thought desirable to do so, as shown in Fig. 2. Inthis drawing the relative position and dimensions of the formandimpression-cylinders are the same as in Fig. l, and the number of forms(four) remains also unchanged. But the direction of revolution ischanged and the first form-cylinder 12l is where the second 14: is inthepreceding press. Under feeding is also resorted to in this case. Thefeed-board 24E conducting the sheets to the lower side oftheimpression-cylinder where the grippers seize it and carry it to formNo. 1 on l2, then to No. 2 on 14; and so on in alternating sequencetill, after Nos. 3 and eare printed in part, the delivery begins. Forthis purpose I use what I will call a belt-delivery by which the sheetis carried away, in a direction which may be nearly horizontal, from theupper part of the impression-cylinder by grippers moving in a right lineat the proper speed, and then dropped on tapes 28 which convey it awayface up. The belt for this purpose may consist of non-extensiblematerial of many kinds; of steel bands, or of two parallel chains 38 asshown in Fig. 2, running on sprocket wheels 40 and connected by crossbars at intervals, with grippers 42 on certain of the latter provided atproper distances apart, which close upon the leading edge of the sheetwhen the grippers 22 on the impression-cylinder, having reached theirhighest point in the second revolution (for a four color press) arethrown open. The grippers on the endless chain 38 holding the end of thesheet, travel with it parallel to the endless tapes 2S directly over thelatter, both at a surface speed which is the same as that of theimpression-cylinder. When the distance to which the sheet has been drawnout by this delivery apparatus is sutlcient to insure its onward motion,it is let go by the grippers holding it and the sheet falls upon thetapes and goes forward to its destination, still at the same speed. Whenthe next set of grippers 42 pass the impression-cylinder they findanother printed sheet ready to be drawn off the impression-cylinder, andthe process above described is repeated.

In this press, looked at from a practical and economic point of view, itwill be seen, that the delivery apparatus plays an important part, forthrough its use the removal of the printed sheet Within the intervalavailable is rendered possible, and in the case of the belt delivery,with its face up. The amountof effective work of which the press iscapable, bearing in mind the smallness of the whole machine, is verygreat, due to the short periods of its comparative inactivity.

In this specification, when reference is made to the length l of a form,or form-support, or impression-surface, gap or gap-spaces, theextensionA of the same circumferentially in the direction of the run ofthe press, and at right angles to the `axes of its cylinders, is alwaysmeant.

By the term gap-space, that depression in the face of the impression-cylinder is meant which is necessary' for the accommodation ofthe grippers and reel-rods, and likewise similardepressions in the faceof a form-cylinder made for purposes of correspondence with theimpression-cylinder gap, or to contain requisite strainingandclamping-bars, the.

Having fully described myinvention, I wish it to be understood, that Ido not confine my self specifically to the embodiment of the same hereinshown, being well aware that substitute appliances can be devisedwithout departing from the principle involved.

What I claim isf-- l. In a multicolor press adapted for printing sheets;an im pression-cylinder having its entire periphery occupied by animpression surface and a gap containing grippers, in combination and inoperative contact with two form-cylinders of equal size, and with one ormore form-supports separated by gapspaces upon each, one gap-space andone form-support being equal in length to the circumference of theimpression-cylinder; and with an endless delivery-belt of flexiblematerial carrying grippers, and adjusted and timed to seize and carrythe printed sheet face up from the impression-cylinder to thedelivery-tapes pending a partial revolution of the impression-cylinder;substantially as described.

2. In a multicolor press adapted for printing sheets; consisting of twoform-cylinders of equal size covered with forms and with gaps betweenthe forms and driven in the same direction; in combination and in operative contact with an impression-cylinder having an impression-surfaceand gap, together equal in length to a form and gap-space on theform-cylinder, and adj usted angularly, to receive upon the leading edgeof the impression-surface the leading edges of the several forms, firstfrom one form-cylinder and then from the other in alternating sequence;substantially as described.

3. In a multicolor press for printing sheets,

IOO

IIO

tWo form-cylinders of equal size provided and covered each with oneormore forms separated by the necessary gaps; in combination -and inoperative contact with an impression- 5 cylinder having its entireperiphery occupied by an impression-surface and a gap containinggrippers, and arranged to make one revolution for each form on one ofthe form-cylinders only, pending theprinting of all the 1o colors by thetwo form-cy1inders and all the forms and the delivery of the sheetbearing saidimpressions from the press; substantially as described.

4. Amulticolor printing press for printing 15 sheets, consisting of twoform-cylinders each v of size sufficient to carry half the number offorms to be printed; an impression-cylinder l having its entireperiphery occupied by an im? Vpression surface and a gap containinggrippers arranged'rto make one revolution for each zo form on one of thefor1n-cylinders pending the complete printing and -delivery of a sheet,with inking apparatus for each of the forms, and means for elevating anddepressing said apparatus to ink orfavoid any particular form z 5 as vitpasses; substantially as described. WILLIAM C. WENDT.

Witnesses:

SELWYN Z. BOWMAN, EDITH M. HOWE.

